COMMENTARY: MGM’s CEO risks angering many of his customers

It gets worse. Jim Murren announced that MGM would match employee donations to the Council on American Islamic Relations. They were named by the Justice Department as “an unindicted co-conspirator” to Muslim terrorism.

Wayne Allyn Root Review Journal

August 23, 2017 - 9:00 pm

MGM Resorts International CEO James Murren. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

CEOs have every right to be personally involved in politics. I’d actually encourage it. We should all be personally invested in the American political system. It’s healthy.

But with his latest political gambit, Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International, has violated the trust of his board, shareholders, employees and customers. And not in a small way. In a “Vegas bigger-than-life way.”

In response to what he sees as the racism, bigotry, intolerance and violence in the wake of Charlottesville, Murren announced last week that MGM will match employee contributions to a collection of groups that include extreme leftist organizations and Muslim advocacy outfits.

Murren is so wildly wrong, so spectacularly reckless, so disastrously offensive to many of his customers, I believe it’s time for a shareholder revolt.

Not because of his personal views. I don’t care about them. It’s a free country. But no CEO should involve his company in controversial politics, let alone the funding of extreme and radical organizations. Murren has just put MGM in bed with an organization that has ties to Islamic terrorism.

Does MGM’s board approve of the CEO using company statements and shareholder money to offend 63 million Trump voters? How about every conservative in America? How about Christian customers? Families with children? How about anyone who is not a fan of Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood?

Because I am certain millions of MGM customers will be shocked when they find out to whom Murren has tied his company.

Keep in mind that within days of Charlottesville, there was a radical Muslim terror attack in Barcelona … and a Missouri Democrat state senator publicly wished for the assassination of President Donald Trump … and there was a shocking attack on police in America, with eight officers shot, two murdered in a 24-hour period … and Chicago’s streets exploded with violence — in just the past two weekends since Charlottesville, 96 citizens were shot and 17 killed on the streets of Democrat-controlled Chicago.

But apparently none of those incidents troubled Murren. He didn’t notice the racism, bigotry, extremism, violence or threats to assassinate our president coming from the left.

Murren could have announced MGM donations to groups that combat terrorism, or groups that support the families of cops killed in the line of duty or wounded warriors.

Instead he announced donations to extreme leftist groups, some backed by controversial radical Marxist George Soros. The groups include the Southern Poverty Law Center, which conservatives have accused of “character assassination.” The center lists many mainstream conservative organizations as “hate groups.” I’m sure millions of MGM customers support these groups. The center lists Americans who have questioned or criticized radical Islam as being part of “hate groups.” I’m sure millions of MGM customers would be offended by this. The center is so extreme that it listed Dr. Ben Carson under “hate groups.”

Is this a group MGM’s board or shareholders want to be tied to?

It gets worse. Murren announced that MGM would match employee donations to the Council on American Islamic Relations. This outfit was named by the Justice Department as “an unindicted co-conspirator” to Muslim terrorism. The group has been linked to Hamas. In addition, CAIR advises Muslims not to cooperate with the FBI.

But don’t take my word for it. In 2003, liberal Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer said, “CAIR has ties to terrorism.”

What CEO would tie his company to a group like this? Any CEO would have to be blind, deaf or dumb to go near CAIR. He’d have to know his controversial choices involving these extreme groups would offend, outrage or chase off millions of his customers.

Jim Murren has gone too far. And he’s put MGM’s board, shareholders and employees in a terrible position because of his extreme, radical, reckless decisions.